Moms Stage 'Nurse-In' At Chick-Fil-A

[The Straight Story]

Moms Stage 'Nurse-In' At Chick-Fil-A
Restaurant Says It Will Do More to Educate Staff About Breastfeeding

ORLANDO, Fla. -- More than 30 breastfeeding women descended on a local Chick-Fil-A restaurant Friday afternoon.

They were trying to make a point the point that it's OK to breastfeed in public.

The "Nurse-In," as it is being dubbed, was organized by a mother who felt she was discriminated against at the restaurant.

She was breastfeeding her child when a restaurant employee told her to cover up.

The employee even allegedly handed her a towel to do it.

"Her right to do that was violated and I'm here to show my support, and we're breastfeeding. We'd like to see more people breastfeeding in public. It should be normal," mother Alejandra Sarmiento said.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/20396100/detail.html

[kevinbgoode]

1. OMG...and I thought Chick-Fil-A was operated by a wingnut evangelical

. . .who often sponsors little Focus on the Family stuff. I haven't eaten at one for years because of that affiliation, and because of the crazy anti-gay stuff that FOF is obsessed with all of the time.

This should make the fundy heads explode.

[grantcart]

2. it is owned by a conservative Christian who closes its stores on Sunday

[Warren DeMontague]

3. "The only breasts that shall be eaten here are from chickens!"

Anyway, it's not a right/left issue. The restaurant isn't just morally wrong, they're legally wrong too.

It seems that in Florida, as in most states, women have the right to breastfeed. As well they should.

[create.peace]

4. right or left, always something to remember, which did i nurse from last....nt

[Warren DeMontague]

5. I'm not one to judge, really, but if you're old enough to know your right from your left

it may be getting time to wean.

[GoCubsGo]

10. LOL!!

n/t

[Ilsa]

18. Not necessarily, Warren, and it isn't your decision to make. nt

[create.peace]

32. thanks, ilsa! i was speaking from the mother's perspective, but

i did nurse longer that most american women, but no one really knew but the immediate family. i have taking a lot of flack about it when i reveal it online, but the two children are the most well adjusted 21 and 23 year olds i know.

[Warren DeMontague]

39. You'd be hard pressed to find more enthusiastic proponents of breastfeeding than our family.

I thought the flat out absurdity of the prior post made the fact that it was intended to be facetious, obvious.

[create.peace]

60. (_)(_)........thanks!

then you will understand 42 long, as a cup size!!!

[demwing]

37. As a father who encouraged his wife to breadstfeed if she could

and a proponent of breastfeeding for the health of your child, I'm interested in hearing your ideas, Illsa, on when it is appropriate to wean. Is there a cutoff age? 2? 4? 5? 10?

[Ilsa]

47. Thanks everyone. t depends on the mom and baby nd circumstances

in the family. The average age for weaning worldwide is somewhere around 3-4 years. There is not "cut-off" age because weaning is best done gradually.

I tandem nursed my oldest at age 2 with my newborn because my oldest wasn't ready to wean. He was still nursing more frequently. In retrospect, I am really glad I tandem nursed. My two children spent alot of time together in my lap, holding hands, studying one another and getting to know each other. But eventually I weaned the eldest around age 3.

My oldest nursed until age four, but that last year was only about a couple of times a day.

My oldest is 12 and has had maybe three courses of antibiotics in his whole life. My youngest is ten and has had only one course of antibiotics in his life. My boys are physically healthy, although my oldest was born autistic (yes, the signs were there in the first year).

Weaning slowly makes it easier than cutting them off all at once. La Leche League has some excellent information on weaning gradually and with love.

[demwing]

62. Thanks. My wife breast fed each of our boys till 2 or 3 yrs

and they just don't get sick. When they do, they recover in a day. My youngest breastfed the longest, well past his third birthday. Unfortunately, he passed away from cancer this year at the age of 8. No matter what you do, you can't prepare for everything.

[Ilsa]

65. My condolences. I ache for you. I can't fathom the pain. nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

95. I am so very sorry *hugs*

[AspenRose]

88. I nursed my first until he was almost two

I became pregnant with baby #2 and my OB told me to quit nursing so as not to risk an early miscarriage.

I sort of wish I had kept nursing #1....but now baby #2 is approaching his 2nd birthday. I'm debating whether to gradually wean after 2 or to keep going. He isn't slowing down much in his nursing. Fortunately I have a pediatrician who supports my nursing, and nursed all of hers until at least two.

[Warren DeMontague]

38. Settle down, Bronco. It was a joke. nt

[Deja Q]

35. And if this were Britney, she'd be using Imitation instead of all-natural...

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/flash/play/755/

:wow:

[Hardrada]

6. At least, this was not at the Olive Garden. Thank goodness!

[MineralMan]

7. If the baby needs to eat, buy it a chiken bistit.

:sarcasm:

[Robb]

8. Duh, I say.

The law says: "A mother may breastfeed her baby in any location, public or private, where the mother is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether or not the nipple of the mother's breast is covered during or incidental to the breastfeeding."

I read the whole article and couldn't understand why a feed-in was required. The law is already on their side. This is an easy civil matter for any attorney.

[Warren DeMontague]

118. A quick persusal of some of the asshattery around this indicates why "feed-ins" are sadly needed.

because a lot of retrograde dim-bulbs (like the ones comparing breastfeeding to shitting in public) still refuse to get that it's about a mom's NEED to feed her baby, not about -gasp- titty flashin'! :o

[aikoaiko]

9. I support breast feeding mothers.

but it doesn't seem like the Chik-fil-A worker asked her to stop, but only to cover up and provided a towel to do so.

Unless there is more to the story I see no harm and no foul.

[pipi_k]

11. I don't see anything in the article that says

the employee told the woman she could NOT breastfeed in the establishment. The article says that the employee only asked the woman to cover up.

WAY different from denying someone their "rights to breastfeed in public".

I personally don't have a problem with it.

But there ARE people who ARE sensitive. Rather than ask, or tell, the woman to stop or leave, the employee gave the woman a towel so she could still feed her baby in relative private.

Like I said, I don't have a problem with it, but I do wonder about people who think that others want to see their various body parts. Some people don't. What's wrong with respecting other people?

:shrug:

[vanlassie]

15. Does the article say the mother was showing her "body parts?"

What would you do if someone handed YOU a nasty towel and expected you to put it over your baby's head? Appalling. That takes some balls. "Here- put this towel over your baby's HEAD." I would consider that to be Out of Line. But then, I know my rights and I have pretty good boundries.

And, I have a pretty strong suspicion that a sexy babe in a low cut halter top with a cute little bare midriff short-short ensemble could strut herself into Chik-fil whatever that place was and get herself some Service With A Smile.

I'm pretty sure about this.

[pipi_k]

16. Women who respect others don't need someone to hand them a nasty towel

because they carry around nice, clean pieces of light cotton, perhaps a burping towel or something similar.

People who are prepared to respect the boundaries of others do take care to keep supplies on hand that will allow them do that.

As to whether a cute little chickiebabe strutting in clad in nothing but a string bikini would be "served with a smile", I don't know and neither does anyone else.

I've never seen that happen, personally, except for maybe at a beach. Even then, most young women are smart/respectful enough to wear some sort of cover-up garment.

And finally...no, the article didn't exactly say a body part was being exposed, but I do have to wonder...if there were no exposure at all, why would someone have to go over and ask the woman to please cover up?

Surely, the employee couldn't have been so mentally disturbed that the sight of a baby's FACE would be offensive. There must have been something that needed covering, from a public respect point of view...

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

27. When I breastfed my sons in public, it was always done discretely and I breast fed them

most anywhere. On buses, trains, restaurants (including upscale ones in the Hamptons), Riverside Park in NYC, malls etc. I wore tops that pulled up and always had a receiving blanket when necessary. There was no need on my part to make anyone uncomfortable.

[Maru Kitteh]

54. Enlightened women do not concern themselves with the 'respect' of knuckle-dragging, gawking prudes

and instead respect the necessity of their infant to be fed.

[WolverineDG]

55. There you go again, bringing logic to a poutrage party

stop spoiling the fun by pointing out the obvious!

dg

[Warren DeMontague]

119. The only "poutrage" here is from the people who are apparently incapable of averting their gaze

from the 'offensive' act of a woman nursing her infant, which apparently is the EXACT same thing as taking a big shit in someone else's hat.

[WolverineDG]

131. Whatever

We're told from childhood that breasts are "private areas," so I don't think anyone should be shocked that people are uncomfortable seeing one exposed.

dg

[Warren DeMontague]

139. I'm not shocked. I just think they need to grow the fuck up, already, and understand that it's not

about THEM and their delicate sensibilities.

It's about a baby's need to eat. It's between the mom and the baby. And you know what else? The law, in most states, agrees.

Presumably, you're a grown up- if it bugs you so much, look away.

[LeftyMom]

82. Are you in the habit of eating with a blanket over your head?

Why should a baby?

Even if you're just horrified at the idea that somebody might see a boob performing it's job, it'd be nicely blocked by the baby's head. I nursed in public all the damned time, I never put a blanket over my kid's head and nobody ever saw jack shit.

[Warren DeMontague]

98. I think there may be a regional dynamic at work, here.

I know that on the West Coast, it's generally not considered a big deal at all.

[Rage for Order]

36. Apparently, asking someone to be discrete = a violation of their rights

:shrug:

[Warren DeMontague]

41. Yeah, when you're talking about breastfeeding, yes. Because too many people still don't get it.

For way too many people, "discreet" = "can't you go do that in the restroom?"

It's not about your need to be protected from a glimpse of a wayward boob, it's about an infant's need to eat and a mother's right to feed her baby without being made to feel like a criminal or told to hide in a bathroom stall.

And the law recognizes this, which is why you can piss & moan and complain all you want, but women feeding babies in public the way nature intended aren't going away.

[Joe the Revelator]

63. Then I get to shit in public, right next to you, while you eat

[Warren DeMontague]

67. Thanks for illustrating my point about why we need laws protecting the right to breastfeed.

Because there are still moronic knuckle-draggers who don't get that it's not about THEM- it's about a baby's need to eat.

As for shitting in public, you go ahead & work on getting that law passed. :patriot: Good luck with that project, chief.

Meanwhile, in most states, (certainly the progressive ones) women will continue have the right to breastfeed in public, and no amount of pissing & moaning (literal or figurative) will change that.

[MineralMan]

73. As if the two are equivalent.

That was a pretty moronic thing to say, really. Think about it....

[Odin2005]

115. That's one of the most stupid comparisons I've ever seen.

Wow, you think feeding a baby is equivalent to defecation? WTF is wrong with you? :wtf:

[BlooInBloo]

120. I'm not sure if I could make a stupider comparison if I tried. And I'm very creative.

[whistler162]

110. Of course according to the story that isn't what went on....

keep walking into that wall maybe someday it will magically form into a door!

[Warren DeMontague]

117. Apparently, the restaurant worker was in the wrong.

In Florida, as in most states now, women have the right UNDER LAW to breastfeed in public- without some ninny acting like they're criminals, telling them to "cover up", and throwing a towel at them.

And what, precisely, is it about that that bothers you? :shrug:

[whistler162]

128. AND she was not being denied that right...

SHE was however being asked not to deny the right of the other patrons to be subjected to her breast feeding!

[Warren DeMontague]

138. The Text of the Florida Law:

"A mother may breastfeed her baby in any location, public or private, where the mother is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether or not the nipple of the mother's breast is covered during or incidental to the breastfeeding."

What part of this don't, won't, or can't you understand?

Have you ever breastfed an infant? Spent any time with a woman who was breastfeeding or trying to do so? As I said elsewhere in this thread, it's hard enough to do under ideal circumstances- without some ginkus acting like you're a criminal and tossing a towel at your baby's head.

Best suggestion in this thread? And prune-faced ass who is incapable of looking the other way from the nursing mom can put a fucking towel over their OWN head while they eat lunch.

[Warren DeMontague]

40. You like to eat your lunch with a towel over your head? God forbid someone should have to look away.

And what if they have a neck problem and their heads don't turn? What then? GOOD GOD, THEY COULD BE *FORCED* to see a boob performing its natural function!!!

The Horror! The Horror! :cry:

[Rage for Order]

46. Performing its natural function?

Could I take a dump in the grass next to the sidewalk, pick it up and dispose of it in a plastic bag, a la Borat? God forbid someone should have to look away. Good God, they could be *forced* to see my anus performing its natural function!!!

The horror! The horror!

:eyes:


Not everyone wants to see everyone else perform "natural functions". I have no issue with women breast feeding in public, but why would anyone be so offended by someone asking women to show the smallest amount of discretion when doing so? Your poutrage is way over the top.

[JeanGrey]

49. I love it when people compare shitting with breastfeeding.

Yup, they're the same.
:rofl:

[LisaL]

57. Want it or not, both are perfectly natural functions.

And I don't particularly want to see either one in public.

[Warren DeMontague]

71. Eating is a natural function. People eat at the tables in restaurants. So do breastfeeding babies.

People shit in the bathrooms. If someone needs to change the baby's diaper, that should be done in the bathroom, too.

[LisaL]

76. Babies need to eat and they need to have their diapers changed.

Why should a woman have to go to a bathroom to change the diaper?
:eyes:

[Warren DeMontague]

78. You clearly don't get it. I'm sorry -really sorry- you have to live in this brave new world

where most people don't get as bent out of shape at the sight of a woman nursing as you, apparently, do. Where breastfeeding women are allowed to feed their babies in peace and clueless restaurant managers, or scowling members of the public who are apparently incapable of directing their gaze elsewhere, are the ones in the wrong.

You DO realize that the law protects the right of women to nurse in public in most states, don't you? Why do you suppose that is? :shrug:

You better just stay home, lest your delicate eyes be inadvertently exposed to any nursing.

:eyes:, yourself.

[LisaL]

93. I've yet to see anyone breasfeeding in public around here.

[Warren DeMontague]

96. All the more reason it's inexplicable why you're so worked up over the "problem".

You said you'd like to see "fewer women breastfeeding in public, not more" ...fewer than none? How does that work?

I don't know where you live, but out here it's really not that big of a deal.

So I'd like to know, precisely, what you think the woman in the Chick-Fil-A should have done? Gone to the bathroom?

[LisaL]

99. WTF makes you thin I am worked over the problem?

Because I said I personally wouldn't want to see it?
How is that being worked over the problem?

[Warren DeMontague]

102. Post #57: You compare breastfeeding in public to shitting in public.

Post #56 "I don't want more people breastfeeding in public".

I don't know, it sounds to me like you've got a problem with it, even though you say you never actually see it.

And I guess, under the broad range of "I personally wouldn't want to see it", looking away, looking at a newspaper, not watching the breastfeeding woman--- those aren't realistic options to you.

I'm gonna take a flying leap and guess you don't have any kids, and you've never breastfed or spent any time with a woman who is breastfeeding, because you seem pretty unaware of what it entails and requires.

So I ask again- what, exactly, do you think this woman at the Chick-Fil-A should have done? Specifically.

[JeanGrey]

112. Apples and oranges. There is NOTHING Offense about

feeding a child. Nothing.

[Warren DeMontague]

53. Define "asking women to show the smallest amount of discretion", please.

No, really. Define it.

Obviously, there's a fucking problem here, because we need LAWS on this.. okay? Public awareness on this has improved, but there are still people (cough.) who get their noses bent WAY the fuck out of shape because someone, apparently, is FORCING ---yes, FORCING!!!!--- :o them to stare at the woman in the corner with the baby on her chest.

What, exactly, lack of "discretion" do you imagine the woman in the Chick-Fil-A was engaging in? Was she swinging her boobs around? Rubbing them on the bald heads of flustered little old men? Dipping them at random in baskets of fried chicken? Oh, I'm sure she was doing a big fuckin' dance, taunting the employees and customers with inescapable views of her offensive mammaries.

Actually, odds are, she was just trying to feed her kid. Have you ever breastfed an infant? Spent any time with a woman who is breastfeeding? It's hard. Hard enough under ideal circumstances, much less in a public place where scowling ninnies are acting like you're some sort of criminal.

Here's a clue, dude. A breastfeeding woman may inadvertently expose some of her boob, even -gasp!- a nipple. This is not because she is deliberately trying to lack "discretion", but because that's how it works. Fucking deal with it, or look away. No one is forcing you to look. Grow up, already.

[Rage for Order]

61. There is no telling, honestly

"What, exactly, lack of "discretion" do you imagine the woman in the Chick-Fil-A was engaging in? Was she swinging her boobs around? Rubbing them on the bald heads of flustered little old men? Dipping them at random in baskets of fried chicken?"

I've read more than enough weird news stories to know I shouldn't put anything past people. The mother could very well have been doing any of those things. Of course, I doubt that was the case.

Listen, moms who breastfeed can be as discrete (or obvious) about it as they like. That is their right. But what happened to common courtesy? Your position is the same one taken by boorish people on cell phones in public places who speak so loudly that we can't help but hear every detail of the conversation. "Don't like it? Tough shit! Don't listen! It's my right to talk on the phone in public!"

I happen to think common courtesy is a good thing. Of course, no one is forcing you or breast-feeding moms to be courteous, so perhaps I'll simply "Grow up, already" instead.

[Warren DeMontague]

68. If you're one of the people who honestly thinks comparing breastfeeding to shitting in public

is a valid comparison, really, I don't see much more room for discussion, here.

[JeanGrey]

113. I personally believe these kinds of reactions come from

men who are angry that breasts have another, more primary function. It's really funny when you think about it.

[moriah]

125. You know what I saw the other day?

I saw this dude sit in the grass ... I couldn't believe it.... he was actually eating a ham sandwich! Oh my God, I could like actually see it going into his mouth... it was so disgusting! I could see him chewing! He had his mouth closed while chewing, and I know people have to eat and all, but can't they do it without me having to see it?

[Odin2005]

114. Who cares what misogynistic, sex-obsessed prudes think.

They don't deserve respect.

[Pool Hall Ace]

12. Why is it only okay for a woman to display her breasts if she is breastfeeding?

I get tired of always having to wear a top. I would like to be able to go topless anywhere a man can. It seems, however, that women's breasts are only acceptable if they are feeding a baby.

[MineralMan]

13. It's legal in New York.

Move to New York.

[pipi_k]

17. It's also permissable in Brattleboro, VT

or, at least it was, last time I heard...

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

28. Yes, thank goodness. A woman has the same right as a man to be topless in public places.

Now if only we had equal marriage rights and medical marijuana....

[TahitiNut]

19. Some seem to think that we must keep it secret that we're mammals.

:shrug: It's a strange fixation, imho.

[MineralMan]

21. It's a common fundamentalcase thing to deny our

nature as mammals and primates. It interferes with their concept of humans being separately created in their deity's image. It also interferes with their belief in creationism, since all mammals feed their young with milk from mammary glands.

Further, sex itself is treated as some sort of "animalistic" urge that is counter to their ideas.

The more fundamentalist the belief, the more distorted the view of our nature. Humans must cover themselves in clothing, to hide the fact that we're not all that different from other primates and other mammals. It's OK for a dog to nurse its puppies, and everyone smiles. But let a woman feed her offspring the way she's made, and they're all up in arms. Foolish fundamentalcases!

[create.peace]

34. and i have seen some manboobs bigger than mine! and definitely bigger than my double mastectomy

friends.

[Pool Hall Ace]

52. Yes, manboobs! I apologize to the original poster for veering off course

because I realize this thread is about breastfeeding, but I favor the decriminalization of all female breasts, whether lactating or not.

[Bucky]

44. What an ironic thing for someone with the user name "Pool Hall Ace" to post.

Obviously a naked woman playing pool would enjoy an unfair advantage. And don't even talk to me about Twister.

[Pool Hall Ace]

50. D'oh! I have inadvertently revealed my secret!

:blush:

[Hippo_Tron]

51. Because of our stupid puritanical society

[Cairycat]

14. Why is it okay

to ask a breastfeeding mother to cover up? If I'm in a restaurant, and tell the manager that I find the mother feeding her baby with a bottle offensive, should the manager hand that mother a towel? Maybe mothers who use bottles should hide in the restroom! Maybe we all could be grown ups and realize that babies need to eat.

Yes, the law is on the side of the breastfeeding mothers. But these laws are written with zero or near zero provision for enforcement, or consequences if broken. When these laws are broken, breastfeeding mothers are being discriminated against, and I think it's perfectly appropriate to hold a nurse-in to protest that discrimination.

[pipi_k]

20. It shouldn't have to be that way, but it is

there are lots of people uncomfortable with it. They have just as much right to be comfortable in a public place as a nursing mom and her baby.

What I suspect is that some of these women might be conducting themselves in a militant "fuck you" fashion.

Maybe some of them are sitting right in the middle of the restaurant exposing the whole breast.

there's no need for that, just as there's no need for women to have to skulk off to the nearest restroom to feed their babies in secret.

The article doesn't give any details on the incident, so nobody knows whether or not the mom was being "in your face and fuck you if you don't like it" with her baby.

But I do think that people need to be a little more considerate of those around them as much as they possibly can.

[MineralMan]

22. I agree with what you said:

"But I do think that people need to be a little more considerate of those around them as much as they possibly can."

I think people should be considerate by not giving a damn if a woman is feeding her child. Don't stare. Don't get offended. Just mind your own business. That's my advice to people who find themselves in a place where a woman is feeding her child. It's not polite to stare.

[JerseygirlCT]

59. Yup. "I don't want to see that woman nursing her baby!" "Don't look". nt

[vanlassie]

23. You suspect?

Here's what we know.

A mother was nursing her baby in public.

Someone thought she should "cover up."

From this, you SUSPECT that she was a militant fuck-you inconsiderate person "exposing the whole breast??"

WOW.

[Robb]

24. I should point out I struggle with this

Mrs. Robb is currently breastfeeding. And I am wholly aware our state law allows this anywhere, expose what you need to, etc.

And I am also aware people are often uncomfortable with it.

But people are also uncomfortable with two men kissing.

And they used to be uncomfortable with black people in restaurants.

And so on.

I wish to be considerate, BUT... etc. etc. etc.

[Warren DeMontague]

42. Do you have any kids?

I'm having trouble envisioning a mom of an infant in a random restaurant having any sort of agenda around feeding her baby, (like, "in your face and fuck you") ... more likely, her immediate concern was getting the kid fed. Maybe she was having trouble getting him or her latched. Breastfeeding in and of itself is hard enough without some uptight ninny getting in the mom's face wagging a finger and saying "you need to stop waving that thing around". :eyes:

Some people are still uncomfortable with it. Too bad. It's not going away. There are solid public health reasons to support breastfeeding, this is how babies eat, and most of them don't like to do it under a towel or a blanket or whatever (do you like to eat your lunch that way?)

If it "makes people uncomfortable", they can look away, read the newspaper, or grow the fuck up. Whatever.

[JerseygirlCT]

58. No, if they're uncomfortable, they have every right to leave

They really don't a have a right to demand someone else curtail their own rights so that they're not inconvenienced.

The mother feeding her baby was in the right. Someone else doesn't like it? They can go elsewhere, or turn their head.

I mean really. What if the mom did expose a good part of her breast? Is that really so upsetting to people? She's in the act of feeding her child. There's nothing sexual there but what the observer chooses to read into it.

[eShirl]

90. "They have just as much right to be comfortable in a public place as a nursing mom and her baby."

What about the people that are uncomfortable when someone of another race dines next to them? Should the waiter throw a towel over him/her so the complainer can be comfortable?

[Maru Kitteh]

121. I can totally see that as a Chappelle skit.

Why do people forget that babies are people too? Babies are PEOPLE folks. Human beings.

[MrScorpio]

25. Mammary Power! nt

[Strong Atheist]

26. Cool. The whole world should be clothing optional... nt.

[Vidar]

29. Good move by the Moms!

[Odin2005]

30. NEVER piss off Mom!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

31. K&R!

:kick:

[Deja Q]

33. Can I be a surrogate baby?

:evilgrin:

[Bucky]

43. You're not already?

;)

[npk]

45. Where is Marcy Darcy when you need her.

This is straight out a Married with Children episode where Al tells a lady in his shoe store that she can't breast feed. Marcy they stages a nurse in and Al finally decides the way to get around all this hoopla is to change the store to a mens shoe store.


I hope the nurse is successful. Just reminded me of a funny episode I saw on television.

[JeanGrey]

48. Good for them!

We need more of this!

[LisaL]

56. Personally I don't want more people breastfeeding in public.

[Warren DeMontague]

69. Tough. It's not about what you want, it's about what is best for babies. Little babies need to eat

and they need to eat often.

Women who have babies have every right to feed them in public, and breast milk is the best food for babies. The breast is the delivery system most suited for feeding those babies. Babies need to eat, they need to eat on their schedule, and oftentimes they need to eat when the mother is somewhere other than a house or a cave or a spot well hidden away.

Women who are breastfeeding don't need to hide under a blanket, or sit in a public bathroom stall.. and they don't need to be treated like they're breaking the law. Mess with a woman who is doing nothing more than trying to feed her hungry baby, and it's quite likely YOU that is breaking the law. In most states, at least. Imagine that!

Get it? It's not about YOU or your delicate sensibilities. It's about the baby. If you don't like it, look away.

[MineralMan]

74. And people should care about what you want for what reason?

None of us are the most important person on the planet. Babies need to eat, too. Look the other way if it bothers you to see a woman feeding her baby, for pete's sake.

[LeftyMom]

83. Personally I don't want prudes expressing their ignorance on the internet.

We don't always get what we want, do we?

[LisaL]

89. We we sure do not.

Ever heard about freedom of speech?
:eyes:

[Warren DeMontague]

97. Expressing opinions I disagree with is just like taking a shit in public.

It's exactly the same thing! Exactly! Don't you get it? :sarcasm:

[LeftyMom]

104. So you get to say dumb things wherever you want, and babies can't eat in public.

Personally I'm much more offended by ignorance than babies getting fed. If you talk in public please put a little cotton blanket over your head. Thank you.

[LisaL]

109. Wouldn't it make more sense for you to cover your computer

screen with a blanket? After all, we are conversing in cyberspace?

[LeftyMom]

111. That gives me the perfect idea for a solution to this whole babies eating in public problem.

Mothers feed babies anywhere they're allowed to be. Anybody who is so fucked up they can't stand the idea of babies eating in their presence puts one of those cute little cotton blankets on their own head so they don't have to see. Problem solved.

[Joe the Revelator]

64. The day I, as a man, can walk into a rester aunt with no shirt on

Without being asked to cover up, is the day I'll understand this argument that these moms were trying to make.

[Warren DeMontague]

70. It's not about women wanting to expose themselves in "rester aunts", it's about babies eating.

And it's very clear that some people don't understand the basics of the argument. Sad, but overall better than it used to be.

[eShirl]

91. get back to us if you ever start lactating. n/t

[ddeclue]

100. Is there a practical use for a Moob?

Perhaps we could ask these guys:

[Jennicut]

66. Geez, are people that afraid of some boobies?

LOL.
I wish I could have breastfed but neither of my kids were that into it. They loved their bottles more. They were only a year and a half apart so I was so tired anyway.
My daughters (4 and 5) ask me all the time what I have on my chest. Kids are not embarrassed. I don't get why adults are.

[taterguy]

72. At the risk of being insensitive and ignorant, why the need to breastfeed at a fast food restaurant?

You're only gonna be in there about 10 minutes.

[Warren DeMontague]

79. Maybe she walked there?

Maybe it was raining and she didn't want to sit in the parking lot? :shrug:

[taterguy]

92. Walk in Orlando? Yeah. Right.

[Warren DeMontague]

94. I think the amount of energy people are expending getting angry about the woman breastfeeding

is far less than it would have taken any of them to simply turn their head away from her and not look. :shrug:

[taterguy]

101. And what does that have to do with the comment of mine that you responded to?

[Warren DeMontague]

103. You're second guessing the logistics involved, which takes some energy, too.

Really, I'm going to give the woman involved enough credit to assume the Chick-Fil-A was not her #1 preferred venue for breastfeeding. I suspect there were reasons why she did it there.

[taterguy]

105. So you're talking out of your ass to create a scenario that conforms with your pre-existing beliefs

Whatever.

[Warren DeMontague]

106. No, you're bending over backwards, THEN talking out of your ass, to imagine a scenario

where some breast-wielding woman stormed into a Chick-Fil-A with the express intention of pissing off the customers and employees with her wanton nursing.

Jesus fucking Christ on a pogo stick. I don't know what planet some of you people live on. It's a god-damn baby eating, for fuck's sake. If it bugs you so much, look the fuck away.

[taterguy]

107. I live on the planet where no one walks to get to places in Orlando

If you have any evidence that demonstrates I'm wrong please share it.

I have no idea what her intention was and I don't care.

I have no hostility towards breast-feeding. I'm just, well, living in the real world.

[Warren DeMontague]

116. It sounds like L.A., but muggier.

You have my sympathies.

[Maru Kitteh]

122. OK, she's not walking. Why do you care if she's breastfeeding in ChickFil-A?

1. Most people, especially moms, DO spend more than 10 minutes in a dining room.

2. Babies just don't get it when you tell them - sorry kiddo, you're just going to have to be hungry later.

[taterguy]

129. I didn't care until people in this thread got so righteously indignant

I was simply pointing out that out of all the things in the world to be upset about, this is one of the silliest.

It would be like me complaining that I couldn't smoke in ChikFil-A.

If I'm only gonna be there a few minutes, what's the big deal?

If this incident had taken place somewhere like an airport terminal where you're there for an extended period of time then I would be completely on the side of the mother.

3. There's no dining room in a Chick Fil-A. It's all one big open space. (Well, I'm assuming that. I've never actually set foot in one.)

[Maru Kitteh]

133. God that's ignorant. Now feeding a baby is like smoking? Second hand breastmilk is the second

leading cause of cancer now?

[taterguy]

134. 2 activities that can be delayed 10 minutes

Usually.

[Maru Kitteh]

136. So now you're in charge of how long lactating women are allowed to remain in restaurants?

AGAIN: What is your specific problem with the woman feeding her child in a Chick Fil-A?

Your comparison of breastfeeding and smoking cigarettes is still incredibly ignorant, for a really, really long list of reasons any thinking person can figure out but I will be happy to provide for you if you are incapable.

It seems you're in the habit of making absolute statements about things of which you have no knowledge, so I'm not expecting much from you, and I'm certain you will not disappoint.

Chick Fil-A dining room - with CHILDREN!

[taterguy]

143. How unreasonable of me to think people choosing to eat fast food shouldn't hang out too long

I have no objection to breastfeeding. I just don't see why anyone's making such a big deal about it in this specific situation.

I reserve my energy and outrage for things that matter, which is why I probably won't post in this thread again.

However, I would appreciate it if you would post links to "absolute statements about things of which I have no knowledge"

I'm curious.

[Maru Kitteh]

145. How could you possibly imagine that it's any of your business how long anyone wants to remain

in a Chick Fil-A?


Absolute statements you have made.

"You're only gonna be in there about 10 minutes."



"There's no dining room in a Chick Fil-A. It's all one big open space." (after this one you admitted you didn't know what you were talking about - so why would you state it like it was a fact?)




If you honestly didn't have an opinion on breastfeeding, or if you honestly supported breastfeeding you would have had no reason to question why the woman was feeding her baby - anywhere, where it was safe to do so.

Nobody is buying what you're selling about "simply pointing out that out of all the things in the world to be upset about, this is one of the silliest," either, because that bears no resemblance to your original post in this thread that questions why this woman would want to feed her baby, which has remained your focus throughout.

One more time I ask, what is your specific problem with the woman feeding her child in a Chick Fil-A?

[LeftyMom]

85. Babies need to be fed when they get hungry.

Further, people are eating in there. Babies are people. There should be no problem.

Certainly nobody would think anything of feeding a baby some inferior chemical concoction out of a plastic container, so feeding a baby properly in the same setting should not cause a fuss.

[Caretha]

132. Oh, I don't know?

Maybe the baby was hungry right then? Not 10 minutes later. :eyes:

[taterguy]

142. Suppose a baby's hungry while the mother is driving a car . . .

Is she supposed to start nursing it before she gets to her destination?

What if she's on an Interstate?

[Maru Kitteh]

144. Then she should pull over someplace safe, like a Chick Fil-A and nurse there.

[Echo In Light]

75. It *should* come as a shock that in this era people remain hung up over this

However ...

And I suppose it's largely the good, wholesome, "family values" crowd that's the most neurotically uptight over it - 'it' being a perfectly natural thing: mother feeding child.

[madinmaryland]

77. Someone really needs to say this...

:evilgrin:

[Warren DeMontague]

80. Here you go. Woo Hoo!!!

Seriously, I like sexy women as much as anyone, but the idea that breastfeeding=sex is ridiculous. Just because it involves a potentially (briefly) exposed boob, doesn't make it erotic.

[Progressive_In_NC]

81. My wife has breast fed at a Chick-fil-A in NC several times this month

My daughter has wheat and dairy allergies, so the grilled chicken fries and fruit are the only fast food she can eat. The manager there has come by and spoken with us while my nine week old was feeding. Must be a particular store or employee thing. Chick-fil-a has always been very accomodating to my wife and her friends.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

84. Meanwhile several rednecks gathered and screamed

"Oh boy boobies!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

All kidding aside nursing is what breasts are made for. There should be nothing offensive or erotic about it.

[Amaya]

86. americans are afraid of breast

I'm here in germany right now- and when i go to the park here i see women breastfeeding- no cover- hell no. america has boob fear¦ lame.

btw- i breastfed a 2 year old... oh MY GODDDDDDDDDDD

[eShirl]

87. I'm sorry (actually I'm not), breast feeding is a human right.

I never will because I'm childless by choice, but breast feeding is a mother's right.

[KamaAina]

108. I think, instead of fries a a side, I'll have an extra-large

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[Writer]

123. I don't have a problem with a woman breastfeeding...

and although I've never had the "opportunity" to encounter a woman breastfeeding openly, I will say one thing:

I have always been nauseated by breastfeeding pictures.

Why? I'm not sure. I just don't like the sight. I don't like to watch one human being in the process of taking liquids from another human being. I don't think it's sexual, but I do get sick to my stomach.

Will I likely breastfeed when I have children? Probably, although I wonder if my tastes will change then. Actually the thought of seeing a baby breastfeeding from my own breast also makes me a little ill.

I wish I had whatever chemistry other women have to love and appreciate the sight of a breastfeeding baby, but I don't. I'm not sure why. Maybe I'm not inclined to enjoy the image as much as I'm not inclined to ever be bi-curious or that I like vanilla ice cream over chocolate. I assume that it's because this is how I am naturally - it's my taste developed by my own personal make-up and experiences.

I know that others also have trouble with the image, and it's not always because of prudishness. We simply don't enjoy the image as much as others do. It's a matter of taste, and tastes are extremely subjective.

[moriah]

127. When your turn comes ...

... it's likely you will be under the influence of progesterone, estrogen, oxytocin, and prolactin -- in other words, don't be afraid that you will vomit from breastfeeding your baby. Mother Nature gives us pretty good natural drugs during that time. (I wonder if there's an amnesia-causing agent in that mix too, every woman I've spoken to who has had multiple children naturally says they always forget just how bad specific parts hurt until it's happening again....)

And if nothing else, you can pump... although that visual honestly bothers my tummy more. What can I say, my great-grandparents ran a dairy farm, and I remember the milking machines there....

[Warren DeMontague]

141. That's why the newer design of the human neck for 2009 comes with a swivel option.

I hear you can rotate the head as much as 90 degrees -or more- away from offensive visual stimuli.

Imagine that!

[TwilightGardener]

147. I'm a mom of two, and I also was always squeamish about it. Hate seeing it, didn't

want to do it. So I bottle fed, and everything turned out just fine.

[UndertheOcean]

124. That is one of the most beautiful sights on Earth , A woman nursing her infant .

[whistler162]

126. Of course there is the minor fact that she wasn't

discriminated against. Just asked to be discrete and not infringe on the rights of other patrons of Chik-Fil-A.

[Maru Kitteh]

137. The other patrons should eat with a towel over their heads if they were so prudish and backwards

as to be offended - so that they could be respectful, and not infringe on the rights of the baby, who is a person and a patron too. Or they could just look somewhere else.

People were once offended at the sight of a black person at a lunch counter too. Some people are still offended at the thought of having to eat next to a minority. Should the manager rush over and ask a black family to put towels over their heads while they eat so the other patrons can be comfortable?

Babies are people.

[Orsino]

130. I would hope that the dutiful guardian of our morals who made the dicision to intervene...

...had the guts to confront the breastfeeding mother him/herself, and didn't send some minimum-wage employee into the fray.

[Prophet0621]

135. Don't want to see an infant nursing? Simple solution...

Don't look. What's so damn difficult?!? Sure beats the hell out of listening to them cry because they're hungry. I have long been of the opinion that far too many people in this country need to get some thicker skin and stop complaining about all the little things that THEY find offensive.

[Warren DeMontague]

140. "Sir! Sir! That lady in the corner, there? She is FORCING me to watch her breastfeed!"

"Make her stop! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah~!"

:eyes:

And I agree with you. People need to run their own lives and stop trying to run everyone else's. Welcome to DU. :hi:

[Pool Hall Ace]

146. Wow, I didn't expect this thread to still be going on.

Right now, I'm broke, so I'm not likely to be dining out. But if I were, and some mothers entered the restaurant in order to stage a "nurse-in," I would probably finish my meal fairly quickly and leave.

But NOT for the reason you may be thinking!

I have no problem at all with breasts. I have two of them myself. My problem is with babies. They just gross me out.

I realize it's MY problem. And it's nothing new. Years ago when I was a kid, we were dining out with my cousin, his wife, and their baby. She was breastfeeding quite frequently, and my mom was growing impatient with my fidgeting. My issue was not with the exposed breast, however, but with the odd noises that the baby made. She seemed to puke a lot, and that made me uncomfortable.

If a breastfeeding mother happens to be a militant "lactivist," the best thing to do is just ignore her in a public setting. If she is a mother who just happens to want to feed her baby, just ignore her, too, and she won't even care. Remember, the alternative to a baby eating is a baby who is *screaming!*